His Will
by DevSibwarra
Summary: Luke Skywalker struggles to regain the Republic leadership's trust after his kidnapping. Yet more and more he is plagued by unsettling visions and flashbacks. A dark, presence has begun to influence the young Jedi's destiny. This twisted new adversary will stop at nothing to bend Luke to his will, accepting nothing less than complete and utter surrender.
1. Chapter 1

" I've got one on my tail! I can't see him!"

" Wedge- stay on your attack run-we'll only get one shot at the Star Destroyer's shield generator!"

Luke plunged his fighter down sharply, narrowly avoiding a glowing red spray of lasers speeding towards him. The sleek Xwing sped past a cluster of TIE fighters, weapons charged and engines blazing against the starry blackness of space. Guided by the force he could sense which laser bolts to swerve away from, and which ones would fizzle harmlessly off the forward deflector. One of the Imperials, more daring than the rest, had broken formation and was relentlessly pursuing Wedge's fighter.

"Steady boys," Luke admonished his new Green Squadron comrades through the com in his helmet, "concentrate on taking out the TIEs, I'll cover Captain Antilles." He pushed his Xwing past the Star Destroyers' defensive range, the power of the Force cresting within him. Fully recovered from Palpatine's Sith lightning at last, Luke could feel the force flowing through him. His adrenaline surged as he deftly wove the ship through a tapestry of laser fire. Luke's Jedi reflexes were now becoming second nature, and the powerful fighter felt like an extension of his body. Every rivet, every gear, every molecule of titanium alloy responded to his will. After all he had been through, trying to recover from the Emperor's assault, and then the unsavory events on Ryloth, it felt good to taste the exhilaration of battle once again.

" Watch that crossfire Luke! " Han's voice boomed in Luke's ear.

Luke fired a ferocious volley, but the TIE pilot dodged his Xwings' shots as precisely as any Jedi. This was no bluff. The pilot was planning to slam head on into Wedge. Numbers were the flimsy TIE fighter's only defense. Just a short year ago, a Star Destroyer would have boasted a compliment of 2,500 TIEs. Now the remnants of the Empire could only muster a mere 300 to defend the beleaguered Chimera. The TIE was no match for the Republic's newest Xwing model, and the Imperial pilots knew it. Yet one of them was defying the odds, trying to stop the Rebel attack, by any means necessary.

Surprised, Luke half closed his eyes and stretched out with the force. He easily found the Imperial pilot's mind. It was full of fierce determination as the two vessels hurtled towards each other. Luke frowned; self sacrifice wasn't a common Imperial trait. He reached out further, peering deeply into the pilot's mind, searching for an explanation. _The 501st._ Luke's stomach clenched. This pilot was from Vader's personal legion.

Through the pilot's mind he sensed a contingent from that illustrious legion onboard the Star Destroyer. _His brothers_ Luke realized. Their cargo, a much needed weapons shipment of would replenish the tattered Imperial fleet. Touted as the most elite well trained troops in the Empire, the 501st would defend their mission to the death. Bursts of enemy fire sped toward him. Luke's hands flew effortlessly over the Xwing controls, continuing to duck the TIE's onslaught.

The TIE pilot pushed the fighter's engines to their maximum capacity, almost as if the ship could be willed to go faster. If Luke hit the TIE a moment too late the fiery wreckage would continue to ricochet, slamming into the Wedge, directly in its path. Which is just what the Imperial pilot intended. Luke touched the soldier's mind again. Fierce resolve had hardened into grim determination, fully accepting imminent death _My father trained his legion well._ Luke couldn't keep the errant thought from streaking through his mind. An unwelcome flash of jealousy stabbed at him.

Wedge's fighter was nearing the shield generators. Once those were taken out, it was a simple matter of hitting the Star Destroyer's engines and it would be destroyed. The mammoth vessel's point defense weapons were no match for the speed and agility of the Rebel snub fighters. The TIE pilot's window of opportunity to halt the inevitable was closing in. Within seconds Luke would be able to target the lone TIE. But the seconds ticked by too quickly and Luke realized he did not want to let go of the Imperial's mind. A treasure trove of the trooper's memories of Vader remained untouched, unexplored. And once that man died those memories, would be gone forever.

This Imperial had been trained by Vader, had fought alongside Vader; had known Vader longer and better than Luke ever could. He sighed. It had almost been easier when he still thought the father he never knew had died long ago. Luke wondered if he would ever be free of his unfortunate emotional attachment to Vader. Uncle Owen had been wise to try to shield him from the truth. Uncle Owen, who had paid with his life.

His Xwing was nearly in shooting range of the rogue TIE figther. Very soon he could fire the shot that would obliterate his enemy, allowing Wedge to deal a death blow to the Chimera. But now time slowed down and Luke felt his hands slacken, releasing their gip on the weapons controls. Luke's vision went fuzzy, and the sounds of screaming engines and heaving metal were instantly muffled. Then, like an avalanche of sand, mosaic of images and emotions swirled around Luke's consciousness, unbidden. Suddenly he drew in a sharp breath.

A dark shadowy figure materialized behind his eyes. His mind raced, analyzing the possibilities. Was Luke was seeing Vader through the other man's eyes? Was this a memory or a vision? _Father! Is it you?_ The hulking black figure slowly turned to face him. Expressionless and unspeaking it extended a gloved black hand towards him, calling to him.

" _Luke..."_ A deep voice emanated from inside his head, like a dream.

" _Father?"_

"Luke! Now! Fire now!"

Han's voice sounded small and far away but it was enough to jolt Luke out of his trance. He blinked. Automatically his fingers began fumbling, trying to catch up with the ship's flashing instruments. Through the viewscreen he saw the enemy was quickly closing in on Wedge's ship, on the brink of disaster. Luke must have already been in firing range for at the last 30 seconds while his xwing idly maintained course. While he idled long enough to put Wedge's life and the entire mission in danger.

"Luke! What are you waiting for-Shoot him!" Han was now screaming from his command ship. Cold reality slapped Luke in the face. There was no time to mine the Imperial's mind for memories of Vader. He must be killed at once. A prickly sense of unease settled in Luke's chest. Blacking out and having visions during battle was not a habit he wished to develop. A Jedi should have the utmost control over his own mind.

"Copy General Solo!"

Gritting his teeth Luke gripped the gun controls. The targeting computer narrowed in on the small craft's circular cockpit, taking only half a second to aim. But Luke didn't need the computer to tell him the optimum time to shoot. He closed his eyes and fired on the TIE once he felt the telltale nudge from the Force. Lasers hit the TIE just as it's cannons were powering up to destroy Wedg's ship. The fighter burst into flaming chunks of metal, bouncing innocuously off the Star Destroyer's impenetrable hull. A few heartbeats later, a much larger explosion wracked the Imperial ship from within.

"Bombs away!" Fire and smoke spewed from the Star Destroyer's open wound. Wedge's fighter arced gracefully up and away, avoiding the blast of flame and shrapnel caused by the explosion of the shield generator.

"Nice shot Green Leader! Now you and Luke get out of there, let's finish off this bastard for good." Luke and Wedge steered their fighters out of the morass of the battle, and glided towards the Rebel flagship. The rest of the squadron had done a good job of eliminating the rest of the TIEs and their path was clear. This battle was over. Three thick green bolts blazed out from Han's Mon Calamari cruiser, and the enemy ship burst into a thousand fiery pieces. Luke could hear cheers and hurrahs coming from Han's ship through his earpiece. No one would sense his private disappointment at killing the 501st officer. Maybe Leia would have, if she'd been near. But she was lightyears away, back on Coruscant, managing the Senate's Galactic affairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Han surreptitiously wiped beads of sweat from his brow as the first xwings reached his Cruiser's hangar. Luke's momentary lapse during the attack run alarmed him. Both he and Wedge could have died. He felt his balled fist finally unclench as his troops began to dismount their fighters, whooping and hollering victoriously. Battles were different now that he was responsible for the lives of hundreds of Rebel troops. Especially now that Luke was flying combat missions again. Leia didn't think he was ready for active duty. But the Republic couldn't afford to lose their best pilot at this critical juncture. And Luke was a talented military leader in his own right; something even Leia knew was too precious to waste.

Yet, despite Luke's abilities, Han still felt protective over his longtime friend. Concerned actually, at times. Now even more so after Ryloth. Anger boiled inside him whenever he thought about what happened to Luke on the Twi'lek homeworld. The last thing the kid needed after Endor was to be drugged and kidnapped by depraved sex traffickers. An almost painful pang of relief thudded in Han's chest when the hangar sealed shut, as last of Green Squadron made it safely inside.

The troops began trickling out of their ships into the hangar. Service droids scurried about, bumping into people. They were tending to the Xwing fleet, still hot from battle, beginning their shut down sequence. The Hangar soon began to fill with the euphoric cacophony of victory. The first victory for most of the Republic's new troops. Even after all Han's years with the Rebellion, the jubilation in the air was palpable, and contagious.

A group in orange flight suits swarmed around him, all laughing and hugging and jostling one another. Han was just beginning to recognize the fresh faces of his cadets. More and more he found himself paired with the Republic's newest recruits. After their defeat, the Empire withdrew further and further towards the Outer Rim. Now the Republic had had to scramble to mobilize enough manpower to compensate and maintain an exponentially larger territory. There was no time for in-depth military training. So it wasn't uncommon for the novice troops to be assigned to the Rebellion's most accomplished Generals. Maybe they were counting on star power to make up for the lack of experience. But Han didn't mind. Most of his crew were from Imperial worlds. Worlds that had been devastated by Palpatine's war machine. They were fighting for freedom, just like everyone else.

"Commander Skywalker! Commander Skywalker!"One of the new fighters- a youth named Darek called out loudly. Han looked up from his second champagne glass. He saw Luke was now encircled by his own band of worshipers, Green Squadron.

"Did you see the way we pinned those TIEs? It was just like you said it would be!"

"We couldn't have done it without you, Sir! " Another young xwing pilot clapped Luke on the back. Luke laughed, smiling easily.

"Now boys," Luke teased "Remember, a leader is only as good as his team. It takes communication and cooperation from everybody to pull off an attack like this one." Suddenly Wedge came up from behind and wrapped his gloved arm tightly around Luke.

"Well then Professor Jedi, I'd say the new Green Squadron's performance exceeded expectations today. Including their leader " Wedge playfully dug his elbow into Luke's side. Luke laughed. He and Wedge had stayed close since the battle of Yavin. Han was glad to see the camaraderie between Luke and his troops. They adored him, and not just for his reputation and fame. He'd been very attentive to the Green Squadron, carefully crafting an agile and innovative team. In many ways, Luke's command capabilities surpassed Han's.

The rest of the ship was abuzz with cheers, and raucous laughter. _Let them enjoy it,_ Han thought. He'd had plenty of fun in his time. He smiled as he remembered the Rebel victory celebration after the Battle of Yavin. The entire Rebel base was electrified that night, in a way only those who've narrowly escaped certain destruction can understand. It was the first night Han and Leia spent together.

Even Luke had not slept alone that night, for there was no shortage of beautiful women eager to bed the young Hero of the Rebellion. There still were plenty of admirers, if only Luke would allow himself to open up a little. A muted wave of regret washed over Han. Luke needed love. No one deserved all the suffering he'd endured since Endor. Surely it must be a heavy burden to bear alone. _If only the kid could just relax a little, have some fun for once._

Han sighed. Luke's potential, his charisma amongst the army was almost tangible. The Republic needed Luke. If only he wasn't so troubled lately, so unpredictable. Han didn't look forward to quizzing Luke about the attack run. Even though Wedge and the others didn't seem to notice, Han knew something wasn't right. It wasn't like Luke to make such an obvious mistake. It was hard to know what should be expected from him, Jedi or not. He wished Leia was there to help watch over Luke. She would know what to say.

"General Solo?" A timid female voice interrupted Han's drifting thoughts. He turned. It was Nezol, the Cruiser's Communications Officer. "I have the replay of the battle with the stats ready for analysis."

"Right," Han replied absentmindedly. He wasn't used to having assistants and officers following him around yet. "Patch it into my ready room. I'll review it with Commander Skywalker and Captain Antilles before I send in our final report."

"Yes sir." Nezol hesitated, peering around Han. "General, is… is that Commander Skywalker?" she asked staring at Luke, surrounded by Gold Squadron.

"Sure is," Han chuckled. " I can arrange for you to meet him, if you like..."

"I'll just be a minute, Wedge" Luke gently slid the door of their bathroom shut. They'd both finally been able to retreat to the privacy of their shared quarters. He hung his white terrycloth robe on a hook and turned on the shower. His tense muscles immediately began softening as tendrils of steam rose up from the water. He always felt better after a real shower. All the Mon Calamari ships had Aqua showers with real hot water. Something Luke couldn't have fathomed back on Tattooine. The Mon Cals were able to survive in space, but they still required regular transdermal absorption of moisture. Luke hoped the calming water would soothe the turmoil in his heart.

Although he was proud of Green Squadron, it felt good to get away from the carousing in the hangar. Luke needed time to settle his mind; time to center his emotions after killing the 501st pilot. It seemed a smoldering anger had resurfaced inside him once again. More and more, uncomfortably familiar resentment had been lurking at the edges of his consciousness. Why had Ben and Yoda kept so many secrets about the Force hidden from him? They knew about the Sith lightning before he faced the Emperor; they knew Palpatine would use it on him! But the deadly lightning took Vader's life instead of his own. His father was the only reason Luke had survived. His father, who his Jedi teachers wanted him to kill. He shook his head. These thoughts were darkly seductive, drawing him further and further down a path fraught with doubts and unanswered questions.

Luke closed his eyes as streams of hot water trickled over his face. But rebellious thoughts continued to bubble up inside his mind. _Why did he have to die?_ A single, angry tear threatened to escape to join the dripping water. He tried to double down mentally, to stuff his feelings deeper inside. To shut them off. He should control his emotions, not the other way around. _A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind_ Yoda's prescriptive words echoed in Luke's head. If only Yoda were there to help him, to guide him. After Ryloth Luke had spent many secluded hours in prayer and deep meditation. But neither Ben nor Yoda had visited him since Endor. He was beginning to wonder if he'd somehow been cut off from certain elements of the Force. Maybe he was unable to communicate with Force Ghosts anymore. Or maybe they were avoiding him. If that was the case, how could he possibly continue the Jedi legacy on his own, alone?

Placing one hand on his stomach and the other on his chest, Luke initiated a Jedi calming technique. Calm, he needed calm. Luke visualized his diaphragm contracting, increasing the space in his chest into which his lungs would expand. The intercostal muscles between his ribs pulled his ribcage both upward and outward as he inhaled, then relaxed on the exhale. Conscious thoughts finally began to melt away. Luke began to unclench his mind, carefully probing his feelings.

Slowly the image of the dark figure from his vision materialized in his mind once again. The spirit that had pulled him into a trance. For a split second it turned towards him, calling to him again.

" _What is yours awaits…"_ Luke gasped and his heart leapt. _What is mine_? What could that mean? Could it be Vader trying to connect with him? Luke shifted all his focus, trying to summon the presence. _Father, is it you?_ Silence followed. He tried to remain serene, open to receiving any answer from the Force.

Loud leering laughter abruptly interrupted Luke's reverie. He recognized the voice immediately. Bereil. Ryloth. He opened his eyes and gasped as he felt hard rough hands pinning him down again. The cool leather of the musty old couch cushions felt just as sticky as it had during the actual event. The eerie red light was just as dim. Bereil's tongue forcing itself into Luke's mouth was just as greedy, just as hungry. A rock hard cock was pressed against him, threatening to invade. How much further would Bereil have gone back on that cursed night? What other degradations would he have forced on Luke, if given the chance? An overpowering wave of nausea gripped him, and he felt his knees weaken.

Luke fell to the wet floor with a thud. The flashback was over. He was was alone again. His heart was racing and his head swam. This wasn't his first flashback of Ryloth. No, ever since his kidnapping, Luke had been plagued by memories of Bereil's eager hands, his hot breath in Luke's ear. Why was this happening?

Was Bereil preying on other Force Sensitives in this very moment? Was he somehow blocking Vader from communicating with Luke? His mind raced with a thousand possibilities. If only Luke had been able to use the force that fateful night; if only he'd killed Bereil, and rest of his disgusting followers. Instead, he'd allowed himself to be distracted, caught off guard. A Jedi Knight captured by common slavers. Weak, and vulnerable, he was a disgrace. Luke's fist tightened as self hatred bubbled up inside him. Seized by a spark of fury, he instinctively drew back his arm and punched the dripping tiles of the shower wall. Welcome pain roared through Luke's tissues as cracks simultaneously slithered up the wall.

"You ok Luke?" Wedge asked worriedly from outside the bathroom door. _Damn. He must have heard._ His friends in the Republic were already watching him. Even Wedge. Luke knew he wasn't acting like himself lately. But how could he ever go back to being his old good natured self after...after what happened? Even the ones who didn't know the truth about Ryloth could tell something was wrong. The concern in their eyes was becoming intolerable. How could any of them ever understand? Bitterness welled up inside him. _It's not fair. I can't stay with them._


	3. Chapter 3

Han clasped his heavy head. Battle reports, statistics, all the new policies and procedures the Republic leadership was implementing felt like more and more red tape for him to trip over. Wedge swallowed the last of his synthehol and thumped the conference table with his hand. The battle review meeting was finally over, and he was ready to get back to his quarters.

"Well, it's been a lovely evening boys. The battle has been successfully reviewed! " He laughed jovially then stood up quickly and started towards the exit, " But now I've got a date with an Aqua shower in about 3 minutes, and I really must be going. " He winked at Luke as the door slid to a close.

"See you soon Luke."

Luke's head was fuzzy, and he'd barely paid any attention during the meeting with Han and Wedge. Damage reports, shots fired, casualties; key words skimmed the surface of his mind. But Luke was a thousand miles away, replaying the mysterious voice in his head. Luckily his new Green Squadron had performed exceptionally well, so very little input was needed from Luke for the final report. Han notably omitted any mention of the delay in firing on the TIE.

" I guess I'll be going too," Luke tossed his data cards to the table as he stood up, getting ready to leave.

"Luke, wait." Luke snapped back to the present moment. So Han was going to call him out after all.

"What?"

Han swiveled in his chair from across the round table. He grimaced. Heart to heart chats were not his forte.

"You ok, kid? You know I've gotta ask..." He glanced knowingly at Luke's hand, the knuckles dark and swollen from the impact with the bathroom wall. Luke jerked his hand away, hiding it from view. But it was obviously busted; he should have kept it concealed.

"I'm fine," he snapped. Luke looked away, trying to hide a dark scowl. It was beginning to feel a little too claustrophobic, being under Han's command. Luke was a Jedi, afterall. He'd survived mental and physical tests none of them could even imagine. _There's nothing they can do to help me. Why can't they just leave me alone?_ And Han was about to become his brother in law, which meant even more supervision. Soon he'd be family.

"I'm just asking!"

Before Luke could respond Nezol's voice interrupted over the com system.

"General Solo, Senator Organa requests you contact her on her personal channel." The communications channel clicked off. Han cringed at the bad timing.

"So now she's checking up on me? " Luke crossed his arms indignantly. "It's not enough that I'm already under your command, General?" Luke angrily spat the last word. He rolled his eyes petulantly and stood up abruptly. What right did Han and Leia have to spy on him like this?

Han held up both his hands and shook his head defensively.

"Hey-it's more likely she's checking up on me!" He stood up. "I don't know if you've noticed it, but nothing gets past your sister. She knows my schedule better than I do!" Luke's expression softened momentarily. Han took the opportunity to continue.

"But seriously, Luke. Leia and I- we trust you. She just wants you to be ok. We've all been through a lot." Luke hung his head. He could sense genuine care from Han. He was right. Han and Leia had always been there for him. They were the only people who knew the truth about Bereil and Ryloth. Originally Leia wanted to immediately send a task force to hunt down the kidnappers, to bring them to justice for what they'd done to Luke. But Luke didn't want that. He didn't want the Republic to know of his moment of weakness, his failure. He just wanted it all to go away. So they'd faithfully kept his secret.

"I know, Han. I'm sorry" Luke slumped. "It's just hard to feel like I'm...being held back." Luke shifted uncomfortably, staring at the floor "I don't know how to explain it. It's like they've won now, I guess. Maybe I'm not meant to be part of the Republic anymore."

Han felt his face darken. _Those bastards._

"Hey, listen kid, you're a great commander, we all know that. Green Squadron sure proved that today. I'm sure the Senate will see that you're doing good work." Han paused. "You know I'm going to respect your wishes Luke," he sighed, and looked the younger man in the eyes. "But I'd kill that creep myself if you gave the word." Luke finally looked up from the floor, his anger diffused.

"I know, Han." He held Han's gaze for a long moment.

"Alright kid, let's get some rest. The briefing for Sluis Van is at 700 hours." He nodded at Luke as he made his way towards the exit. Just before the door slid shut with a hiss Han called out.

"Hey Luke! Just remember- there's plenty of eligible ladies on board, and it's still 2 days til we reach the rest of the fleet. " He grinned. "You could use a good distraction!"

. . .

Glowing red text rapidly filled up the small computer screen in Luke's shuttle. R2 was earnestly questioning him about their departure from the rest of the Republic fleet.

"We're not joining the rest of the fleet at Sluis Van. "

More words lit up the screen.

"No R2, I didn't clear it with General Solo first. I don't need his permission for every single decision. Besides, he's got Green Squadron now." Luke didn't mention his unauthorized use of the Xwing.

A final question scrolled across the screen. Luke's exasperated countenance softened.

"No R2, I'm not in trouble. We've just got our own mission now." He paused. He grimly remembered the glimpse of the Emperor's Holocron and the Ssi Ruvvi Star Cluster he'd stolen from Bereil's mind. Bereil was still out there, still in possession of Palpatine's stolen secrets. The shadowy figure from the vision, could it be him? Luke shivered at the thought of the Emperor's decrepit flesh, his sunken yellow eyes.

By now Wedge would have discovered the note Luke left in their quarters, ordering him and Han not to follow him. And now they were too close to the Unknown Regions. Luke knew his friends wouldn't be able to pursue him this far out. This was not a battle that could be won by brute force.

Although he didn't have an exact plan, Luke intuitively knew he would find the Emperor's Holocron on the precipice of the galaxy. He could feel it in the Force. Bereil would make himself known. Not since Endor had he felt so compelled by destiny, the Skywalker destiny. It felt as if the force was pulling him towards some unimaginable crescendo. Somehow he alone must take possession of the Holocron. Now that he'd left his friends and the Republic, nothing else mattered. He now realized he could not stand by and allow the secrets of the Force to be exploited.

. . .

A button on Luke's control panel began flashing bright blue, signalling that the Xwing was about to drop out of hyperspace. His navicomputer was set on a course to Bakura, the world closest to the edge of Republic territory. The whole ship shuddered as the starlines suddenly turned into glowing white dots in the viewscreen, revealing a most unexpected scene.

There appeared to be an Imperial garrison outside Bakura. Luke's Jedi reflexes snapped into action. He swerved the Xwing sharply, and narrowly avoided colliding with the enemy ships.

"I see it R2! It's not supposed to be there!" A looming Imperial Dungeon Ship filled his vision. Luke flinched as sickening waves of agony and despair slammed in to him through the force. The suffering of the ship's prisoners, past and present, were embedded within the very atoms that comprised the ship itself. He'd only ever read about these long mobile prison complexes in the Imperial Archives. They were used in the Clone Wars to transport and interrogate force sensitive prisoners. Until the Jedi were eradicated, that is. What was it doing so far out here?

Luke struggled to catch his breath, to shield himself from the dungeon ship's Force signature. He could sense captives within, their collective terror clawing him from within the metal walls. But a darker, more potent feeling was nagging him, grasping at him. It was as if he being slowly drawn into quicksand, sinking deeper and deeper with every moment. _What is yours awaits..._ The same voice from his visions echoed in his mind once again. Suddenly Luke was certain another Force user was onboard.

"Skywalker! We've been expecting you." Bereil's dreadfully familiar voice rasped over the com channel, just as Luke had predicted. A tractor beam promptly locked onto the Xwing and R2 began frantically spewing text onto the computer screen. As much as he was loathe to see Bereil again, Luke knew he should not fight. He had to get onboard the detention ship, to take possession of the Holocron. Luke scrambled to adjust the engine controls, hoping to minimize any damage to his vessel. _As if you'll ever get out alive_ Luke brushed the thought aside. Self doubt would not serve him in this moment.

The ominous black prison ship bristled with weaponry, which became ever more visible as the Xwing was pulled in closer and closer. He raked through his memory for anything he could remember about the repurposed Dreadnaughts. The _Lictor_ -class detention ship, also known as an Imperial dungeon ship, was a versatile warship and mobile prison based on a design used by the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders. The models used by the Empire were equipped with universal energy cages, force sensitive holding cells, drop bays, and sparring chambers where Dark Side Adepts could battle captive Jedi. They were designed to intimidate, and gained a reputation for never returning a captive who entered them. Guard droids were used to help prevent Jedi escapes. By the time of the Rebellion they had been retired in favor of penal worlds. Except this one.


	4. Chapter 4

Bereil nervously straightened his tunic as he waited for the Imperial Stormtroopers to bring their captive out from the dungeon ship's hangar. They had been instructed to take their prisoner alive and preferably unharmed. But Lord Momin's well trained troops wouldn't hesitate to use force if provoked. In fact, the dungeon ship's crew was a little too trigger happy at times. Bereil sighed. He'd never intended to end up doing business with the Empire, let alone a secret military installation. Hopefully this Jedi would know better than to resist. It would be unfortunate to have to inflict any unnecessary damage.

Finally Momin's stromtroopers escorted Skywalker through the hangar door, his hands restrained by metal binders. The younger man's face was expressionless, but he stood tall and fearless. A spark of defiance glittered behind Luke's clear blue eyes. He was even more handsome now than the night on Ryloth.

"Welcome! My apologies for the...precautionary measures." Bereil gestured towards the stormtrooper guards as he spoke. "Lord Momin will be pleased to meet you at last. He's been waiting for you for a long time now." A look of confusion crossed Skywalker's face.

"Lord Momin? How is that possible? " So the fledgling Jedi didn't even know who he was about to face _. Such a shame_ Bereil lamented silently, imagining the devastation the Dark Lord would almost certainly inflict on his newest victim.

"I'm here for the Holocron. I know it's here Bereil," Luke spoke quickly, his voice wavering ever so slightly. " I'm willing to pay whatever you ask, but I will take it by force if I must."

Bereil maintained a calm exterior. Sadly, it was more than likely Skywalker would indeed pay the dearly, in the end. For a brief moment he remembered Luke's hard sweaty body underneath him; and the salty taste of his delicate golden skin. His fingers tingled as they remembered stroking that sandy blonde hair, damp with sweat. A perfect specimen. If only Skywalker could be his alone. Instead, Lord Momin would relish destroying the boy's resistance, and taking ultimate possession of him body and mind. He would use whatever means necessary, including deadly force, to bend Skywalker to his will.

Unexpectedly the turbolift doors slid open. Out stepped Lord Momin himself. Skywalker drew in a sharp breath and shrank back almost imperceptibly. Momin was a large, imposing figure. His physical prowess alone was enough to intimidate even the toughest stormtrooper, let alone his power in the Force. He was closely followed by his stone faced disciple, Kor. Bereil shivered. He did not envy young Luke.

"Finally, he's here!" Momin's deep voice boomed as he strode closer. The older man's force presence was cold yet strangely oppressive. Luke shuddered; he wasn't used to shielding himself from other Force Users. He grimly remembered Palpatine's perverse, overbearing Force signature. " I've waited a long time to meet you, Son of Skywalker." Momin's voice was now calm and coldly self assured. " It's unfortunate your father couldn't be here with us now, I would have liked to see him again. Let us hope his strength has not been diluted in you."

"My father?" Luke frowned, confusion and recognition warring inside him. This was the presence from his visions, of that he was certain.

Momin sighed and smiled malignantly.

"Ah yes, poor Anakin. I remember him well. Pity he got ensnared by the Emperor at such a young age. He had such a promising future, before Palpatine sunk his claws into him." Momin eyed Luke menacingly. "At least he had the sense to produce an heir. The Skywalker bloodline should not be wasted. " Momin then closed his eyes and breathed deeply

" Ah... I can feel your power through the force, you will serve me well."

 _Serve you well?_ This Lord Momin was obviously a powerful force user himself. And Luke was alone on the Dungeon Ship. What hope could he have of escape? And what about the Holocron? It was here, Luke could sense it. Luke felt his fists clench as he fought rising panic. He must try to stay calm.

"Lord Momin, I am here for the Holocron, and that alone. I will not turn to the Dark Side. The Emperor already tried." He tried to steady his voice, to sound more confident than he felt. "You'll have to kill me first." It was true though, Luke would rather die than turn, especially after Vader's sacrifice. Perhaps that was his destiny. Momin laughed mockingly.

" Palpatine, that narrow minded old fool! He never truly understood your potential. No, I have much bigger plans for you, Skywalker. I don't need to turn you to the Dark Side of the Force. You're perfect for me, just as you are. It will be a pleasure to explore the true extent of your capabilities, under my dominion." Momin motioned for the stormtroopers to take Luke to the holding cell that had been prepared for him.

As the armored soldiers began to jostle him towards a long corridor, a rush of desperation flashed through Luke. In a frenzy he used the force to yank himself free of their grip. If only he could get to his Xwing, there was still a chance he could escape. He mentally reached out to snatch his lightsaber from one of the guards. It flew easily out of the holster at the stormtroopers' hip. But before it reached him, the crashing wave of Momin's force energy yanked the lightsaber in the opposite direction. Caught off guard, Luke was not able to counteract Momin's will. Using the force Momin shoved Luke roughly back into the stormtroopers metallic embrace.

"You can not escape, boy. This ship has held hundreds of Jedi, and not one of them was ever able to make it out alive." Before Luke could respond one of the stormtroopers slammed a white armored fist into the side of his face, sending him to his knees. Somehow he sensed Bereil wince in the background. His head swam as pain and anger flooded his stunned senses. He'd never been hit in the face before. Luke knew he should not resist any more for the time being. The dungeon ship, Lord Momin, the throbbing pain dominating his senses, it was all too much to take in at once. He needed time to think.

Momin remained calm, quietly tucking Luke's lightsaber into his own belt. Through the pain Luke noticed a nefarious grin spreading across the face of the younger man at Momin's side. An apprentice perhaps? The man nodded slightly towards the trooper, who dealt another hard blow to Luke's stomach. Luke cried out and doubled over, struggling to breathe. Unphased, Momin turned to leave. Before he stepped back into the turbolift, Momin turned to smile upon Luke, who was still on the floor. " I hope for your sake that you soon learn your place here, young Skywalker. My troops are not as forgiving as I am."

The holding cell was almost completely dark, save for the glowing red control panel at the door. The air was cold, and had a metallic taste. Luke could faintly see his breath in the dim light. After Momin's departure he had been quickly taken to the cellblock and thrust in. Several hours had passed and he'd been left alone. Tucked in a corner near the back, Luke shivered and hugged his knees tightly. He squeezed his eyes shut. _Fear leads to the Dark Side,_ he mentally repeated, attempting to master the turmoil in his mind. For what he'd said to Momin was true; Luke would rather die than fall to the Dark Side of the Force.

Silently reaching out with the force, Luke tried to get a sense of the surroundings outside the cell. Nothing. Dungeon ships were originally constructed to hold captive Jedi, and this was clearly one of the fabled force-shielded detention blocks. It felt like going blind. Cringing inside, Luke couldn't help but wonder about the cell's previous occupants. What kind of agonizing fates had they met with? _What do they want from me?_ Luke shuddered at that last thought. Grizzly horrors from the Clone Wars that Luke had only read about seemed to be coming to life now.

The dungeon ship was guarded by 3 Star Destroyers, which was no small garrison, especially these days. This installation had to be under the protection of the Empire. And who was the man who called himself Lord Momin? The ancient Sith Lord Momin from legends had died thousands of years ago. Surely the Emperor would have sensed this man's existence long before now? He kept mentioning Luke's father, and the Skywalker lineage. But hadn't Palpatine exterminated the Jedi, along with a large percentage of the known force sensitives in the galaxy? Had Vader known about any of this? Nothing made sense.

 _I should not have come,_ Luke silently berated himself. Taking on Bereil alone would have been relatively easy, even with the Dungeon ship's structural advantages. But Bereil was not a force user. This Lord Momin being was clearly well versed, and strong in the force. Possibly stronger than Luke.

Without warning the cell door slid open harshly with a hiss, startling Luke. Instinctively he reached for his lightsaber. But he was still unarmed, still helpless. He hated being force-blind. A tall, imposing silhouette stepped into the cell, black robes swishing around his feet. Luke stiffened as Lord Momin himself stood before him. If only he could sense what the other man was thinking, to know his motivations.

"I've waited a long time to have you alone, Skywalker." The Dark Lord spoke, steadily approaching Luke. Luke swallowed, shrinking back from his captor. He subconsciously tried to push himself further into the cell's corner.

"Who...who are you?"

But Lord Momin continued to draw closer, ignoring Luke's question. Was this the end? Would Momin kill him now? Without the force to guide his actions, Luke felt frozen; as if his body were paralyzed by terror. Fear morphed into rising panic, gripping his heart. This was not how he wanted to die, meaninglessly in a prison cell.

But death had not come for him, not yet. Now Momin was at the edge of the the bench, towering over Luke. The hard frigid walls of the cell pushed back against him, coldly reminding Luke he had no escape. Slowly, as if drawn by a magnet, Lord Momin began to crawl on to the bench, inexorably advancing on Luke. Luke drew in a sharp breath, raising his hands in futile defense. How could this be happening?

"What are you doing? Wait, no-"

Suddenly Lord Momin reached out and backhanded Luke across his already bruised face.

" _Shut up, boy,_ " Momin commanded wordlessly as he easily pinned Luke down. Through his confusion Luke realized Momin had spoken directly inside his head. _But how can he use the force in here?_

 _How indeed?_ Momin chuckled softly. He straddled over Luke, holding him down by the wrists. Luke's stomach turned as he realized Momin's intentions could be entirely licentious. Was this happening because of the events on Ryloth? Bereil must have intentionally led Luke to the Ssi Ruuvi Star Cluster. He must have known Luke would eventually try to find him. Luke tried desperately to close off his mind, to shut Momin out. But without the use of the Force he was defenseless. Momin pushed Luke down even further, until he was completely trapped beneath the Dark Lord's weight. He grabbed a handful of Luke's sandy blond hair, pulling the boy's face closer to him.

"Ah yes, you remember Ryloth." Momin spoke aloud now, pressing his body even more firmly onto his prey. Luke recoiled. The familiar feeling of the hot breath swirling in his ear was almost intolerable.

"You know I can take what I want," Momin whispered softly, his lips lightly brushing Luke's cheek. The Dark Lord drew in a long deep breath, as if he could inhale the young Jedi's spirit.

Luke struggled to breath under Momin's crushing weight. The words sounded more like a promise than a threat. Despairing, Luke knew he would not be able resist Momin's assault, should the Dark Lord decide to take him by force. He mentally braced himself for another blow.

"Don't worry, young one," A lecherous smile crept up the corners of Momin's mouth. "I'm not going to force you. Not now. Not like this." Momin tenderly smoothed the soft skin on Luke's brow.

"No," he continued. "In time you will give yourself to me freely, son of Skywalker. " _Son of Skywalker._ The words echoed in Luke's mind. Momin's laughing black eyes peered deeply into Luke's, taunting him, drinking him in. Unable to shy away, Luke closed his eyes, wishing he could disappear. But behind his eyes an eerily familiar image flashed into his mind. A young man, with deep blue eyes and unruly honey colored hair, reached out to him. Just like the figure in his vision. _Luke…_ Luke's heart leapt as the faraway voice called out to him. _It's him!_ Luke's eyes flew open as he inhaled sharply.

" _Father?!"_ He cried out hoarsely. He blinked incredulously as the youthful the face of Anakin Skywalker himself smiled down at him for a brief second. Then the handsome features quickly dissolved back into the configuration of Momin's sneer. Somehow Momin must have directly implanted the image of Luke's father in his mind.

Luke shook his head in disbelief. Momin laughed with self satisfaction at the questions in Luke's blue eyes.

" _All in good time, young one_ " he answered through the force.

Momin wordlessly slid off the boy and exited the cell, leaving Luke alone again.


End file.
